I want to jump this weekend but the forecast calls for cloudy conditions with a 0% chance of rain... I don't want to waste a trip... I jump in southern california so I haven't jumped while there is overcast yet... would they just dump us off at a lower altitude if the overcast is low? not jump at all? advise? thoughts?

If the bottom of the clouds are high enough, jumping from under the clouds is an option. What is "high enough"? Certainly the bare minimum ceiling is 500 or 1000 ft above your lowest acceptable exit/opening altitude for a hop & pop (margin depends on MSL altitude). Of course, this option only works if there are enough other jumpers who want to jump in those conditions to make the plane go.

"What is high enough to make the jump worth the expense?".... only YOU can answer that!

I just re-read my reply above and noted that it was dry, boring, and VERY left brained.

So.... Let me tell you about my most recent jump on a cloudy day. The ceiling was cloudy, but well above 13,500ft AGL. The ground winds were not strong enough to be a worry. However, the upper winds were strong... ~50 mph as I recollect.

A buddy and I arranged with the pilot for a cross-country jump. I dressed for a chilly hop & pop, put my cellphone in my pocket, and we got on the plane. The pilot dropped the free fallers, then we closed the door and flew ~8 miles west from the DZ. We exited and pulled at 13,500. The DZ was a bit hard to see and it was CHILLY up high. We enjoyed a high speed transit across the countryside. The pilot circled us until we were below 10,000 (for air traffic reasons). For much of the jump, my buddy and I thought that we were going to land out to the North of the DZ due to a crosswind component that we had not anticipated. However... things worked out well and each of us landed in the peas!

Best you can do is call the DZ the morning you want to jump, and see what they say. They'll know the current conditions and probably have the latest forecast for the day.

They'll know best, and you really need to hear it from them. Who knows, it might look 'iffy' all day, and the pilot has family shit to take care of, and the plane needs a widget replaced anyway, so the management might just call the whole day of early. Even if the weather online looks good enough to jump, none of that will matter if the pilot is gone and the plane is in pieces.

That option doesn't make sense for those of us who have a LONG drive to the DZ. If we wait until the DZ is open to decide to jump.... we won't even get to the DZ until much of the day is gone. My commute to the DZ is short, only 2 hours each way. I have MANY jumping buddies who drive 3-5 hours each way to the DZ.

That option doesn't make sense for those of us who have a LONG drive to the DZ. If we wait until the DZ is open to decide to jump.... we won't even get to the DZ until much of the day is gone. My commute to the DZ is short, only 2 hours each way. I have MANY jumping buddies who drive 3-5 hours each way to the DZ.

We have a 2 1/2 hour dive to the dz as well. For this reason we bought a camper trailer and set it up at the dz, tented the first year. Now we leave Friday after work and come home Sunday evening regardless of weather. Skydiving is a game of patience, if that bothers you then you should find something else. When we get weathered out there is always something to do. Learn how to pack, pack student/tandem rigs, help out around the dz (there is always something to do), chat it up with the more experienced jumpers, go for a run, etc. We are lucky at our dz in that it is on private property and still in the building phase. Bunch of us went out and bought little dirt bikes and then built an oval to race on, I'm sure there are some people at your local dz that have some crazy idea's too. ;) Here is the latest weathered project https://www.facebook.com/...p;type=1&theater ...a swing bridge from our deck to the gazebo (which were both built during weather days as well), like I said always something to do at the dz

Best you can do is call the DZ the morning you want to jump, and see what they say. They'll know the current conditions and probably have the latest forecast for the day.

They'll know best, and you really need to hear it from them. Who knows, it might look 'iffy' all day, and the pilot has family shit to take care of, and the plane needs a widget replaced anyway, so the management might just call the whole day of early. Even if the weather online looks good enough to jump, none of that will matter if the pilot is gone and the plane is in pieces.

I stopped calling and believing the the DZ very early on because they always had rosy colored glasses on when reporting poor conditions..."Oh it's going to clear up real soon" really means "The ceiling is 500 ft, it's rainy and windy, but there was one sliver of sun that shot through a cloud about an hour ago" You can't blame them because if they discourage folks from coming out, and the weather really does improve, they won't have the customers.

All that said, even though I stopped believing them, I would still come out to hang with my friends, swap lies, network, etc. Only the dedicated would show up on days like this so it made interesting company. It did help that there is a bar on the DZ... a most enjoyable way to spend a rainy day.

Best you can do is call the DZ the morning you want to jump, and see what they say. They'll know the current conditions and probably have the latest forecast for the day.

They'll know best, and you really need to hear it from them. Who knows, it might look 'iffy' all day, and the pilot has family shit to take care of, and the plane needs a widget replaced anyway, so the management might just call the whole day of early. Even if the weather online looks good enough to jump, none of that will matter if the pilot is gone and the plane is in pieces.

I stopped calling and believing the the DZ very early on because they always had rosy colored glasses on when reporting poor conditions..."Oh it's going to clear up real soon" really means "The ceiling is 500 ft, it's rainy and windy, but there was one sliver of sun that shot through a cloud about an hour ago" You can't blame them because if they discourage folks from coming out, and the weather really does improve, they won't have the customers.

All that said, even though I stopped believing them, I would still come out to hang with my friends, swap lies, network, etc. Only the dedicated would show up on days like this so it made interesting company. It did help that there is a bar on the DZ... a most enjoyable way to spend a rainy day.

Back before cell phones & the innerweb...when we were all broke ~

We'd call the local club DZ 'person to person collect', and ask for Miss Hope Betterweather

'Not here today' - - - means no jumping today.

'Will be here soon' - - - good day, come on out!

~gotta wonder what the operator though when ole Miss Hope would get 20-30 calls on a Saturday morning!

Everyone's going to hate me for this, but I check the weather at my drop zone by looking out the window. And I know they're flying, when the otter flies over my house. To be fair though, it IS a 10 minute drive from here to there. If I'd taken up the sport before I went house shopping I could have got one across the street from the airport (No HOA where I live, though.) Also, it's really hard to stay at work on Friday afternoon when I look out the break room window and see parachutes coming down